Google Updates Glass With Wink To Snap A Photo Capability, More Goodies Ahead Of Holidays

Google’s XE12 update to Google Glass is out, and there are some nifty new features to make Glass Explorers happy. One of the most notable is a new feature that lets users wink to snap a photo. It would appear that Google liked what it saw from Winky and either swiped the idea from developer Mike Giovanni or implemented his technology.

“Wink”, as Google is calling it, is designed to make taking a picture supremely easy, with the idea being that you can turn on feature in Settings and snap pictures without taking yourself out of the moment. (It also makes it easier for Glass users to surreptitiously take photos of others.)

But Google has bigger plans for the Wink feature: “Imagine a day where you’re riding in the back of a cab and you just wink at the meter to pay,” reads a Google+ post. “You wink at a pair of shoes in a shop window and your size is shipped to your door. You wink at a cookbook recipe and the instructions appear right in front of you.”

Glass can also now upload videos directly to YouTube with an “OK Glass, share with YouTube” voice command. Wink is a nice trick, but this YouTube sharing is arguably the more desirable feature.

The XE12 update also offers a lock screen that requires a “secret Glass handshake” to use the device, the ability to use Hangouts messages, control over Google Play Music All Access radio and playlists using voice commands, and an iOS app.